Community meeting on depression to be held next week by Battle of the Mind

Battle of the Mind will be coming to Ararat on August 2 and will run a free community meeting on depression at the Ararat and Grampians Tourist Information Centre from 2pm to 4pm.

Battle of the Mind was founded by Megan and Peter Bidwell following the sudden suicide death of their youngest son, Robert, aged 27 years, in 2009.

They are survivors of suicide and understand the full emotional and devastating impact of this horrific death.

Megan and Peter were both faced with the biggest challenge of their lives and a future now changed forever, a family so close had suddenly been torn apart.

A parent's thought of never seeing their child again is unthinkable and acceptable.

Megan, who worked for many years as a grief and loss counsellor, needed all the therapeutic tools to apply to her own life to survive.

They chose to turn their son's death into a positive by selling their family home and buying a Winnebago to travel state-wide to present free community meetings on depression and grief and loss issues of life

Suicide survivors can have a future and can laugh again and enjoy a life with a purpose and peace in their lives

When there is no hope there is no future and no reason to live.

Battle of the Mind is designed to give people hope and preserve human life - knowledge is powerful and freedom is peace in people's lives.